Apple is worst performing stock in S&P 500\’s best January since 1997

The S&P 500
is poised for its best January since 1997, while the Dow
is on track for its best January performance since 1989, according to data from Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indicies.

That\’s good news for followers of the \”as January goes, so goes the year\” school of investing.

As Silverblatt points out, the year has moved in the same direction as January in 61 of the last 84 years or 72.6% of the time. The effect is even stronger in years when the markets rise in January.

When stocks have risen in January — 54 times since 1929 — the year has ended higher 43 times, or 79.6% of the time.

Through Wednesday, Jan. 30, the S&P was up 5.31% for the month, its best since a 6.13% gain in January 1997. The Dow was up 6.49%, its best January since an 8.01% gain in January 1989.

Nearly 90% of stocks in the S&P 500 are up for the month.

Among the big winners in January are NetFlix
, up 80%, Best Buy
, up 34%, and Dell
, up 31%.

Of the stocks that have lost ground so far this month, the most notable are Abbot Labs
, Apple Inc.
and Family Dollar Stores
.

Silverblatt notes that Abbott is nominally the worst performing stock in the S&P 500 for January, down nearly 50%. But he says that adding back Abbott\’s spin off of AbbVie in a stock distribution on January 2 means the combined shares actually rose 8.12% for the month. That leaves Apple, down 14.3% through Wednesday as the worst performing stock in the S&P 500 this month, so far, followed by Family Dollar Stores, down 10.09%.

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